


Different Lights

by Serahne



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Mention of stalking and murder, Written for the Valentine's day exchange, but their relationship is still pretty sweet, maybe a little too dark for this kind of event
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-16
Updated: 2017-03-16
Packaged: 2018-10-06 02:06:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10323053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serahne/pseuds/Serahne
Summary: "Unlike Celes, she shines brighter when all the lights are on her."In which everything sounds like a love story. They just don't know how to play this part. They still do.





	

There is little difference between getting your letter from Hope’s Peak Academy and getting your letter from Hogwarts. Even for someone like Celestia Ludenberg, it’s impossible to avoid the internal turmoil when her gaze finally catches the clean, precise writing on the envelope. The first reaction is denial, that it’s a joke, something that her stupid little brother crafted to make her mad. Then she realizes that her brother is way too lazy and sloppy to put so much effort into a prank, and it hits her like a truck.

She reads the letter, again and again, an uncomfortable feeling spreading through her stomach. _How did they know ?_ she thinks. _How did they know about the gambling ?_ She is a careful, methodical liar - some would say pathological but they don’t know anything - and yes she enjoys the games of poker and the gambling and she is good enough that if she keeps going, she’ll be able to become independent as soon as she turns eighteen. Oh, how she wants to slam the door behind her, hissing a ‘see you in hell’ at her lazy, boring, unambitious family, she wants it so much that she fantasizes about it days and nights, counting and recounting her bills.

But no one is supposed to know. Not her family, not her classmates in this hole where she is forced to go everyday and where the teachers can’t seem to get used to the way she dresses, or are always trying to fight her about her name. And not Hope’s Peak Academy. Though, she’ll admit, it’s interesting. She needs approximately thirty seconds to decide that she wants to go. An elitist school full of secrets where goes a bunch of elitist assholes full of money. Sounds like fun.

To finalize her inscription, she has to enter her login and password on Hope’s Peak website, so she shoos away Reiji, her little brother who grumbles but ends up by abandoning the computer and drags himself toward the couch. She rolls her eyes - pathetic - and enters the URL. The registration procedure is quick and clear, and she can appreciate that. She clicks on ‘Done’ and then…

_To facilitate your integration in Hope’s Peak Academy, we assigned each new student a pen-pal they can discuss with via our application of instant messenger._

Celes rolls her eyes because, of course, Hope’s Peak Academy is that kind of school where everyone is supposed to be hypocritical and gets along.

_Your match is : Sayaka Maizono, Ultime Pop Idol. If you want to start a discussion with them, please click on the link below._

She toys with the mouse for a while, moving it across the screen, looking how the app’s link turns blue anytime the cursor hovers over it. And then she clicks on it.

She has nothing against being hypocritical and getting along. Especially with someone who has a talent as ridiculous as Ultimate Pop Idol.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Celestia Ludenberg but I’d rather you call me Celes. I’ll be attending Hope’s Peak Academy next year, and if it’s agreeable for you, I’m alright with using this application so that we can know each other better.

She presses ‘enter’ and since she is the only one online at this time of the day, she closes the site and the computer.

What could go wrong, right ?

*

Three days later, Celes is working on her new dress - a beautiful piece with a lot of lace - and her brother is watching some music videos on internet, or is losing time on a social network, or looking at the pictures of naked women or whatever a 13 years-old do when they are on a computer, when the monitor suddenly beeps.

She doesn’t react at first, too engrossed in her handiwork, but her brother calls her.

“Taeko… why the hell is Sayaka Maizono sending you a message ?”

“Celes” she corrects him, as politely as possible, putting her dress aside and moving closer from the computer.

“Celes” he says, and her name is never as ugly as when he says it. “Why are you talking with Sayaka Maizono, THE Sayaka Maizono ?”

She scoffs. “Listening to you I could think that she actually matters instead of being a commercial product that everyone will have forgotten in a couple of years.”

The boy looks at her very seriously.

“Every hot girls matter”

“Whatever, moron. Get out of my way”

She manages to move him enough that she can sit and see what it’s all about. In a corner of the screen, the application’s icon is changing color, signaling her that she received a new message. She double-clicks on it.

**Sayaka Maizono** : Nice to meet you, Celes-san ! I’m sorry I couldn’t answer sooner, I had to ask my manager if I was allowed to talk with someone like that. He told me that since we are going to be classmates, it’s alright. I’m so happy I get to join Hope’s Peak Academy after the holidays, and I’ll be enchanted to talk with you before this beautiful day. Tell me, how are your holidays ?

Celes hums, relieved that she hasn’t answered with a mix of emojis and poor grammar, as she worried it would be the case. Sayaka Maizono seems as least somehow politely distant and by-the-book.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : My holidays are pleasant enough. I share your enthusiasm about Hope’s Peak, and  I’m currently in France, my family and I are visiting the châteaux of the Loire. What about you ?

Her brother is reading over her shoulder and snickers when he reads her answer.

“Wow, how lucky I am, I never realized that our house was actually a castle… a french castle, what’s more ? Damn, sis, you could have told me.”

“Get lost.” she mutters, absent-mindedly. What did he think she was going to say ? ‘Hi, I spend my holidays babysitting my little brother and makes sure to get enough money in case where my parents decided to blow it in alcohol ?’ Who would want to hear that ? Certainly not Sayaka Maizono. Celes herself doesn’t want to hear that, after all.

**Sayaka Maizono** : Oh, I’ve always dreamed to go there ! Is the food as good as people say ?

**Celestia Ludenberg** : Even better. You should really taste the pastries. Some croissant or éclairs and your life is changed.

The only croissant she ever ate are the ones from the supermarket, downtown, where she rarely goes because it’s too far away to walk there, and it’s not like her parents would ever remember to buy something like that. Also, saying that they are life-changing is just a little lie. What’s more, she knows that the day where she’ll walk down the Champs-Elysées, a cappuccino in the right hand and a croissant in the other, everyone admiring her expensive clothes from Dior and Gucci, she’ll know that she is exactly where she wants to be.

**Sayaka Maizono** : They sounds marvellous, but I wouldn’t be allowed to eat them anyway, my manager doesn’t want me to gain weight, and any high-carb food is prohibited.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : He sounds strict. And by that I mean that he sounds like a dictator.

**Sayaka Maizono** : Oh he is, Celes-san, but that’s just the way it is. It’s the price to be the happiest girl in the world, after all, right ?

They talk a little more after that, Sayaka explaining how important her friends, the other pop-idols in her group, are, and how amazing her life is and how she hopes that Hope’s Peak will make everything even better, and Celes lies a lot, telling her about the life she wishes she had, telling her that she is an only-child - may her brother disappear - and travels all over the world. She doesn’t feel bad, it’s just the way it is, and the idol is probably way happier to talk with Celestia Ludenberg, traveller extraordinaire, from a rich family and who speaks seven languages than with… a frustrated teenager who is just waiting and waiting, and hoping that her dreams won’t be eaten by the time.

It’s weirdly enjoyable, talking with her, and Celes concludes that Sayaka is just a nice person, in general. She tends to look down on nice people, because they break at the first hint of wind, but this girl almost makes her sad, with her perfect punctuation and the honorifics that she never forgets, because the show-business is a terrible place for people like her. And yet.

Her parents aren’t there tonight - Celes can’t remember if they came back the day before and ponders over the fact that they could be dead somewhere, after their drunk ass fell into the river or something. It’s probably not true, but it would be interesting. Her brother would probably cry, the idiot. There is no food either, and that’s a lot more problematic, so Celes sighs and gives her brother enough money for him to buy some takeout.

They eat in front of the TV, and it’s an action movie, pretty boring but the actors are nice to look at so she doesn’t complain too much. Reiji yawns, but when the add break starts, he looks at Celes.

“Hey, it’s her ! The hot pop idol !”

Celes glares at him, but he is right : Sayaka and her friends are singing and dancing, while a voice announces that they are going to be on tour all over Japan. On the screen, Sayaka is smiling and twirling, and she looks so…

… so happy.

_It’s the price to be the happiest girl in the world, right ?_

“Do you think she is happy ?” she says without thinking, and her brother looks at her as if she was crazy.

“What do you mean ?” Reiji is talking while chewing on his food and Celes wants to puke. “I mean, yeah, I guess ? She is rich and everyone loves her. Girls all want to be like her, you know. I’d be pretty happy if I was as famous as her - not an idol obviously but maybe a baseball player ? Or an actor… or…”

Celes stops listening to him and looks back at the screen where the advertising for Sayaka’s show already vanished.

  
  


*

**Sayaka Maizono** : Celes-san, you won’t believe what happened to me yesterday !

Celes smiles at the few words she just received before realizing what she is doing and stopping immediately. Sayaka and her have been talking for a few weeks, and while their discussion are nice and calm, Celes thinks she has lost her mind.

It’s not even about Sayaka, not really. It’s about her words, that she can’t get away from. It’s the price of being the happiest girl in the world. They echo uncomfortably in her head, poisoning her mind and her body. Never before has she spend so much time on the computer, watching Sayaka’s old interviews, going back two years in time where she was just a child who stuttered in front of the cameras, her friends at her sides, beautiful and smiling too, but not able to catch the light the way Sayaka did.

Celes is looking for something. She isn’t even sure what, but whatever it is, she isn’t finding it. In each of her public appearance, Sayaka is a robot, coded to say the right thing at the right time, to smile the perfect amount of time, to laugh at the appropriate time, a shy, cute laugh where she hides her mouth behind her hand. Her gaze never wanders away from her interviewer, as if she couldn’t imagine a better way to spend her time than this.

And it’s the same when she performs. She shines so strongly that Celes isn’t sure how to react. Of course, it’s not like she could talk about this to anyone, especially not Sayaka.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : Probably not, we both know who is the psychic between you and me.

**Sayaka Maizono** : I told you it was a joke !

**Celestia Ludenberg** : Well, I’d have to test it out eventually. Having a psychic by my side could be very useful.

**Sayaka Maizono** : How so ?

Celes blinks, and can’t believe what she wrote. Of course having psychic powers would be amazing during a game of poker, but that’s not something that she is supposed to let it slip. It’s better for someone like Sayaka to stay away from underground tournaments, anyway.

Unlike Celes, she shines brighter when all the lights are on her.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : Can’t you guess ? I suppose you’re not psychic, at the end.

**Sayaka Maizono** : Celes-san ! Don’t be cruel to me !

Celes smiles at her screen and drinks some of her - still hot - tea. The flowery taste fills her with some kind of warmth that she doesn’t remember feeling with the previous brand she used.

She’ll have to buy more of this one.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : So what did you want to tell me ?

**Sayaka Maizono** : Remember this personI told you about last week ? The one who send me twelve love letters ?

**Celestia Ludenberg** : Oh, this pitiful pig, who is so desperate that he would confess to someone he doesn’t know.

**Sayaka Maizono** : Well, he actually managed to find me after the concert in Osaka, I have no idea how he passed through the security, but he did.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : Are you alright ?

**Sayaka Maizono** : Of course, don’t worry, he just wanted… to propose, from what I understood.

Celestia coughs on her tea, tears coming up to her eyes from the pain of having an almost-burning liquid passing through the wrong conduit. She shouldn’t be surprised, though, this is just the kind of thing that happens when you are Sayaka Maizono. What a bizarre existence, really.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : That’s very indelicate of him, how low can he get ?

**Sayaka Maizono** : Don’t say that, Celes-san, I’m glad I’m able to inspire such passionate feelings to my fans. Love is one of the most beautiful thing in the world, you know ?

Celes doesn’t know, and she rolls her eyes. Of course Sayaka would say that.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : Wonderful, then. When is the wedding, tell me and I’ll write a speech about stalkers and beta boys which will put everyone in the mood.

**Sayaka Maizono** : You’re being silly. I’m not allowed to have a boyfriend, and that’s not even talking about an husband ~ My manager would stab me if I did something like that.

During the weeks they chated together, Celes noticed that Sayaka’s manager doesn’t allow a lot of things. He doesn’t allow her to gain weight or to get a boyfriend, he doesn’t allow her to dress with a skirt too short or in an ‘indecent’ way, whatever that means. She isn’t allowed to talk to the press about anything, and needs to fill a rapport about every one of her friends, so that her manager can do a background check.

She isn’t allowed to cut her hairs or skip her sport’s training either. She doesn’t seem unhappy about that, though. As if it makes sense for all the privileges she is getting out of it - and maybe it does.

She is still curious.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : What happens if you find someone you like at Hope’s Peak, though ? Most girls would be annoyed that they can’t date anyone.

**Sayaka Maizono** : I suppose it’s true, but I really can’t imagine something like that bothering me.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : You can’t imagine liking someone more than your career ?

**Sayaka Maizono** : Ah… it doesn’t sound like something I should say.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : It’s fine. And I think it’s fair, I never met anyone that I would pick over myself either.

**Sayaka Maizono** : You’re so amazing, really, I wish I was as self-confident as you are. And I’m sorry for changing the subject, but are you back in Japan yet ?

Oh, sweet, sweet lies.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : Oh, yes. Since wednesday, actually. We are supposed to be at Hope’s Peak in a week, after all.

**Sayaka Maizono** : That’s great ! I’ll be in Tokyo for a concert in two days, will you be able to come ? I’ll send you free tickets, and it could be a way for us to meet, what do you think ? I really want to meet you before Hope’s Peak, you know.

Celes taps the tip of her fingers against the table, wondering if it’s a good idea. Oh, meeting Sayaka doesn’t seem that bad, she isn’t the kind to mix up her lies or to destroy everything she built up, but being tossed around in a crowd, and ruining her makeup because of the heat doesn’t seem appealing at all.

She sighs. She may like her future classmate a little too much, and she hopes she appreciates it. Celes is just not the kind to go out of her way to please someone usually.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : I guess if you are dead set on us meeting it’s a way like another. I expect the best tickets, though. If I have to be surrounded by smelly people, I’ll never forgive you.

**Sayaka Maizono** : I’ll do my best Celes-san, thank you so much !

The idol as to log off after that and Celes stays in front of a computer for a while, looking at the empty chatroom.

_Two days, uh_ ? That’s short but she can do it.

Her performance will need to be at least as good as Sayaka’s.

*

The concert is something. She has never been at one, never interested, but it’s definitely something to experience, at least once, no matter how unpleasant it can be to stand in a crowd of sweating, bellowing people who don’t seem to have a problem with pushing her against the barriers. She is surrounded by young girls, who know the lyrics by heart and scream them as loud as possible without caring about the performance that much it seems. There are guys too, more than she thought there would be, either with their sister or girlfriend or just as part of a group of friends. There are also _old_ guys, and Celes looks down on them with all the disdain she can muster, and that’s a _lot_ , for they are garbage. Being thirty and still drooling over teenages girls automatically makes them loser in her book.

She wonders if the guy who asked for Sayaka’s hand is among them. Probably, this kind of guy doesn’t have any pride.

Herself has been on the receiving hand of many confused looks, for the way she dresses contrasts with the classic T-shirt-jean that everyone adopted. She is wearing her new dress, all sexy and classy, the lace covering her arms and cleavage, and her makeup is perfect, even if she hopes it will still be as great at the end of the concert. Her brother threw her a ‘you look like a fricking doll’ comment before she leaves, but she doesn’t care. In front of her mirror, she couldn’t tear her eyes off herself.

_That’s it_ _,_ she thinks. _That’s exactly who I am_. And it fills her up with a sweet euphoria, putting a giggle in her throat.

All that doesn’t matter once the lights goes off and the stage lights up, of course. Because Sayaka Maizono appears and it’s like nothing else matters. And it’s all Sayaka. Not the cheesy songs, or the stupid dance moves, not the musicians who seem bored with playing always the same thing, not even the other girls from her group who could be replaced by anyone without anything to change, because the Ultimate Idol is taking all the oxygen in the room and is replacing it with some exhilarating drug that makes her light-headed.

It’s _something_. It’s not pleasant, but it’s _something_ , and when it ends Celes’ eyelids flutter, as if she was taken out of a trance, and she looks at Sayaka who hasn’t met her eyes once, who is thanking everyone while people all around her are screaming how much they love her and _she_ _smiles, smiles, smiles_ , overwhelmed by all this love.

It’s unreal, and she wonders if everything outside of the room has just faded from existence.

*

“Celes-san ! I’m so happy you were able to make it”

Celes has been quietly waiting for her friend since the end of the concert, watching everyone leave the room, their eyes shining with their fresh memories, when she sees Sayaka calling her, already out of the clothes she was wearing on stage, and looking so normal after all that that it’s almost disconcerting. Her hair are down, and and she is wearing a sweatshirt with colourful patterns on it. What’s left of the crowd around them is ignoring her, probably not recognizing her, and Celes wonders how that’s possible, for Sayaka’s smile is just as beautiful and heart-warming as it was on stage,

“Sayaka-san, it was a lovely show, thanks for inviting me” she bows slightly, trying to make a good impression.

“Oh, please, don’t worry about it” she quickly looks around them and without a warning, she takes Celes’ wrist and pulls her with her while she quickly walks toward the backstage. “Follow me”.

Celes can’t stand physical contacts, but Sayaka’s hand is clean and silky, and it’s not that bad. She is still intrigued by the suspicious looks the idol throws around, as if they were doing something they shouldn’t.

“Sayaka-san ?…” she asks cautiously.

The girl turns around, toward her, an apologetic smile on her face. “Ah, I’m sorry for not warning you. We need to escape my manager if we want to spend some times together. I’m supposed to be ready for signing autographs.”

And it’s so strange to hear the nice Sayaka blatantly disregarding what she is supposed to do, that Celes follows her as they take the stairs and starts getting higher and higher. Are we going on the roof ? She wonders.

After a few minutes, they indeed end up on the roof, and the freezing air hits her brutally, her light clothing letting the night’s wind freezes her arms. Sayaka stops then, letting go of her wrist, and laughs freely.

“I think they won’t be able to find us here, not for a while anyway. I felt a little rebellious, knowing that you were there, you know. I’m going to be scowled, but I don’t really care, I’m just too happy to be with you !”

And here it is again, the look of perfect satisfaction on Sayaka’s face, that screams that everything she ever wanted is spending some stolen time with her. She says the right thing too, making her all special, and Celes narrows her eyes, breathing deeply to even her respiration after their jogging in the stairs.

Sayaka doesn’t to care about her silence and moves around a little, evacuating the energy she still has from her concert.

“Can you believe that we will soon be in Hope’s Peak ? I can’t wait, but at the same time… I’m a little scared, you know.” She admits, and she presents her face to the moonlight, creating the most poetic picture possible. Celes joins her, and she wonders if they make a nice pair, all similar and different, shining under the moon.

“Scared ?” asks Celes, joining her.

She can’t see what’s scary about a girl like Sayaka going into a new school where everyone will make a line to meet her and be her friend.

“That it won’t be as great as I hope it is ?” she says. “What if everything I planned doesn’t work and that our group stops being as popular as it is today ?”

“I fail to see how it has anything to do with Hope’s Peak.”

“I’m going to tell you something fun !” she says without answering Celes’ remark, before walking to the three-and-something feet fence surrounding the roof to avoid anyone from falling out. “Do you know that I’m not allowed to die ?”

She seems elated by the prospect but Celes is taken aback by the change of conversation, and  looks at her curiously, watching how the idol presses her whole body against the barrier, not thinking at all that it could ever break under her weight.

“You should be careful with it.” sighs the gambler, walking closer from her. “I’m sure I’ll get in trouble if I people learnt that I was with you when you fell right to your death.”

But Sayaka smiles, amused, and shakes her head. “You don’t understand, I _can’t_ die, I’m not allowed to. It’s in my contract, I signed it !” and she says it with such conviction, it’s almost scary.

“I’m sure it’s pertaining to a monetary compensation on your family’s part if that happens anyway. Not that you can’t really die.”

The idol doesn’t stop smiling but after a few seconds she takes a few steps to distance herself from the fence.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, Celes-san. I just thought it was… very funny, you know. In a very weird way. I live in such a weird world…”

“Well it’s kind of weird” She replies. “But from what you told me, that’s not the only weird rule you have to follow, right ?”

“Yes, exactly, you understand.” Sayaka’s smile turns nicer and sweeter. “I’ve been living in this weird world for so long, so I’m not sure I can live somewhere else.”

It’s back. The uncomfortable feeling. It’s back and her tongue is heavy and it’s barely hers when she speaks.

“Changing is fine” she says. “I know it may seem weird, but that’s what humans do, they adapt and they change they keep going. I didn’t see anything in you that would hint at you being different.”

Silence. Then an airy laugh. The next second, she is so close from Celes that she is able to see every little flaws on her pale face, even in the half-darkness they are in. Sayaka’s eyes shine in a way that is almost scary, like a doll looking at nothing and everything at once.

Celes likes dolls, anyway. She never wanted to be one, but looking like one is something else.

“As I thought, you are so strong Celes-san. So strong that it makes me a little braver. A little rebellious, as I said. My friends will be angry at me, but it feels… good.” She bites her lips. “I’m just… really happy we get to meet this way.”

Celes opens her mouth to say something spirited and clever, and very appropriated to the strange - but not unpleasant - tension that is building between them, when a masculine voice stops her.

“Finally Saya-chan, I found you !”

They turn around and see a man, one of these thirty-something boy who was at the concert. He is tall and skinny, and very repulsive in Celes’ opinion, with his greasy hair and boring outfit. His eyes are wide, and shine with a not-totally sane light.

« I was looking for you downstairs but someone told me they didn’t know where you were. I’m sure they’ll be happy if I told them that I found you – ah, but don’t worry, I can understand that you need some peace of mind sometimes, I can keep a secret I promise » he smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

« … Thank you, Omosa-san. This is very much appreciated » Sayaka bows and her voice isn’t betraying any emotion beside a sincere gratefulness, but her whole posture is tense, and whether is conscious or not, she shifts closer to Celes.

The guy raises his hand as a sign of appraisal. « It’s alright ! I told you I could understand you, right ? That I was the only one who could and that we would be happy together. »

And Celes gets it. Who this guy is. She leans toward Sayaka and whispers in her ears :

« That’s the person you told me about ? The one who harassed you ? »

« He didn’t… » she answers as quietly as possible before cutting herself. « Yes » she admits. « You need to go and warn my manager. I can calm him, he is a nice person. »

« HEY » yells the said nice person, showing some signs of agitation. « This is so rude to talk behind someone’s back like that. You shouldn’t have to hide anything from me Saya-chan. What were you saying to her ? »

« Nothing at all » replies Sayaka without missing a beat. « I was telling her that you were the one who has send me all these beautiful letters. Ludenberg-san is my friend and you know how girls are, always talking about the boys we’re interested in ! I’m sorry, Omosa-san. It wasn’t polite at all. »

Omosa-san blinks slowly, lowering his heavy eyelids over his dull eyes, as if he was too stupid to comprehend what the idol is saying. He eventually calms down.

« I see… well, something we’ll have to work on when you’ll be my wife, Saya-chan. It’s alright, you’re still young but I know you can be my perfect woman, and I’ll love you despite your flaws. Come with me, I have a car parked in front of the building. »

It’s amazing that even after these words, Sayaka doesn’t leave her beautiful smile behind. Quite the contrary, she seems to give it even more force, drowning the atmosphere with positive vibes. Without thinking, Celes slips her hand into Sayaka’s, with the firm intent to not have her leave her sight.

« Wouldn’t it be better if we talked a here for a little while. Ludenberg-san, could you leave us alone for a little while ? » Sayaka suggests.

Celes knows it’s her cue to run as fast as she can and bring back the first person that she meet and is able to stop the man. But that means leaving Sayaka there and… her hand tightens a little around Sayaka who gives her an insisting look in return.

All that doesn’t really matter for one second latter, Omosa-san starts to laugh, and Celes doesn’t think she ever heard such ugly giggle.

« You think I’m fucking stupid, right ? You told the emo bitch to call the police, right ? Well, it’s not gonna happen. Come with me, now ! » he yells the last words, and Sayaka takes a step back, betraying for the first time what she must be feeling.

« I’m sorry but I have to decline. I can’t leave without talking to my manager first. » she says with a breathy voice.

And when the guy opens his mouth to reply, Celes jumps in. It’s not that hard. Her opponent is a _loser_ , a unpleasant mix of aggressivity and submission, and she has no pity for this kind of vermin. She can crush him under her boots in less than a minute.

« Listen you disgusting piece of shit ! She told you no, and you are going to let her alone, alright ? Instead of talking about ‘love’ as if it could justify your actions, you should admit that you are nothing more than a pervert who drools when they see an high-schooler in her uniform, and then throw you from a bridge to clean up the world of people like you, got it ? » Her words are full of poison, and it’s incredibly entertaining to see the guy becoming always more purple and angry after each of them.

Oh yes, she thinks. She can take him, _easily_. And she can’t help the lethal smile to bloom on her lips. It’s just so much fun.

« You… » he says, and his eyes are revulsed and his whole being seems ready to explode. « You cunt… »

« Cunt ? » she snarls back « One step too far. You should have stopped at 'bitch’, it’s a more empowering term in my opinion. Though better be a cunt than you, I guess. »

« Saya-chan ! » the guy begs, turning his attention toward what he thinks is the weakest of the two. « Don’t listen to this woman, I love you ! »

Sayaka is pale, and still holding Celes’ hand, and Celes thinks she isn’t going to answer when she says.

« Well I don’t. Go away. »

An unnatural sound tears out of the guy, between the scream and the sob, and what happens next is the kind of thing that isn’t supposed to happen in real life. Not in Celes’ world.

A guy just doesn’t pull out a knife because he was rejected romantically by an idol he barely knows. That’s just not something realistic.

It’s a thing in Sayaka’s world, it seems.

What a terrible world.

« If you… if you don’t love me… » he says, distressed, waving the knife around like the mad man he is « I don’t think I can let you to someone else. I don’t think I could live with it… I need… I need you to stay with me… even if it means sacrificing everything I have… nothing really matters if it’s not you… »

The rest of the scene happens in a blur, so fast that Celes barely has the time to register what’s going on. The guy flies toward Sayaka and she barely avoids the blade of the knife by pushing his assailant away, against the barrier. He cuts himself with the knife because of the shock, blood running down his fingers, and he snarls, looking at her with hallucinated, bright eyes..

“Fine ! I’ll let you alone !” he spits in her general direction and Celes thinks that it’s done, it’s over, this person is going to go away and they’ll be able to report them to the police or something like that.

Sayaka doesn’t move. She is looking at her hands, breathing erratically.

“I’m sorry” she mutters, so quietly that Celes barely hears her “I didn’t mean to push you” and she wants to shake her out of her trance because come on, no matter how sweet and kind your heart is, no one is going to be angry at you for pushing away someone who is attacking you with a knife.

“Whatever, slut” he replies “You ain’t worth it anyway. Just a stupid pop star who’ll be forgotten in a couple of years. I can’t believe I’ve wasted my time on you.”

Time stops. No one moves, as if they were aware of the impact these words have on the trembling young girl. Sayaka doesn’t even say anything. Her eyelids flutter, and her gaze is so empty and cold that one part of Celes just wants to reach out to her, takes her hand again and drag her away.

The other part is very curious to see what she is going to do.

And she doesn’t disappoint. As if she isn’t really there, but is acting as a robot, she calmly walks toward Omosa who looks at her with a mixture of disgust and badly-hidden hope, she stops right in front of him, and then she pushes. _Hard_. On purpose, with enough strength to break the fence, Celes thinks, but it doesn’t break.

Instead Omosa loses enough his balance that he flies over the barrier, disappearing from their sight. For two seconds, nothing besides a terrified scream. And then…

**CRACKSH**

Celes jumps at the ugly sounds and hurries at Sayaka’s side, to look at the scene : a huge stain of dark blood slowly spreading around an unrecognizable - he fell head first, it seems like - corpse, and people who are starting to notice what’s going on, and are going to wonder where this body come from and…

“Sayaka, head down !” she realizes and she pushes the idol away from the sight of anyone who could have seen her.

The idol lets herself being manhandled without resistance, for she seems to be going through an out-of-body experience at this moment. Which isn’t the best thing after murdering someone.

“Sayaka !” she almost-yells, and she isn’t panicking, because panicking would be absolutely pointless, but they need to move, now.

“I’m… I’m sorry” she stutters. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Okay” Celes says. “It’s going to be fine.”

But Sayaka shakes her head, terrified. “No, it’s not. I’m not allowed to murder someone Celes-san, I’m not. I’m going to be left behind, my manager is going to fire me… and what about Hope’s Peak they won’t even take me if I’m not…” her voice dies with a strangled sound, and she is still not moving, and Celes is starting to think that they are not going to be able to leave the scene soon enough.

“I can’t” Sayaka says “I can’t, it’s not possible, I refuse it to be true, I… please, Celes-san, do something ?” and she is still using the honorifics and it’s incredibly weird in a way.

Celes breathes in, and out. Her hands stops shaking. _Do something_ , Sayaka said.

She can do something. She leans closer to Sayaka, getting her attention, and says.

“You are going to listen to me and do what I’m going to say, alright? In 5 seconds, I need you to be your perfect self and if you do that, you won’t get any trouble for it.” she says.

Sayaka nods frantically, but her shaking eventually stops, and the next time her eyes meet Celes’, they are focused and attentive.

“What do you want from me ?” she says, weakly.

Celes smiles, with more kindness that she ever thought she could display.

“What you do best, Sayaka. A performance.”

  
  
  


*

**Sayaka Maizono** : Hey Celes-san, do you know that they are talking about you in the national paper ?

Celes’ heart flutters when the characteristic ‘beep’ signals her a new message from her soon-to-be classmate.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : I hope it’s about my amazing sense of style.

**Sayaka Maizono** : Sorry to disappoint you but it’s not. I’m sending the link to you, alright ?

Celes clicks on it and starts to read the article.

_**A high-schooler saves the famous pop idol Sayaka Maizono from a mentally unstable stalker** \- Yesterday, the straight-A student Taeko Yasuhiro, 16, was incredibly lucky to be able to intervene when Taku Omosa, 38, tried to sexually assault Sayaka Maizono, 16, after her concert, coercing her to go on the roof and trying to compel her to execute some indecent “favors” by threatening her with the knife that was found on his person._

_Yasuhiro managed to push the attacker away, and he fell to his death by accident. While the girl is soon to be on trial for this incident, feminist associations, and groups advocating to protect the young idols more than they are considering the different incidents involving mistreatment and invasion of private life are celebrating Yasuhiro’s gesture, and are asking for her release without judgement. We interviewed the lawyer  and defender of women’s right…_

She stops reading and shakes her head, a smile on her face. Their little performance was the best one Sayaka ever did, all shaking and crying in front of the police officers, while she was doing her part of the terrified, innocent girl who doesn’t really know what came onto her. It was so _easy_. Probably because they wanted to believe them, so much that it was even ridiculous. Celes even thought that one of the policeman was going to ask for an autograph or something.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : Quality journalism, I have to say.

**Sayaka Maizono** : So you’re alright with you name being on there ?

She knows what the idol is really asking. If that’s okay for her to take the blame, even though Celes is confused by it : her brother is grudgingly showing her some respect, and the woman who works at the shop where she buys everything she need for her needle works made her a discount, just for her.

Being a murderer isn’t that bad. Except for one thing, of course.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : It’s not my name, I really don’t care.

**Sayaka Maizono** : Great ! Say, I received a call from Hope’s Peak yesterday, to confirm the room I’ll be in. I’m in the 31. What about you ?

**Celestia Ludenberg** : I’m pretty sure not being on trial for murder is a prerequisite to enter Hope’s Peak.

**Sayaka Maizono** : Nonsense ! I’m sure they are going to call you very soon !

Celes is typing her reply when her phone starts to ring.

The caller is : _Hope’s Peak Academy_.

Wow.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : Looks like your psychic powers are back.

**Sayaka Maizono** : ?

She answers the call.

“Miss Celestia Ludenberg” says a very pleasant female voice. “It’s the administration of Hope’s Peak Academy. We are calling you to tell you which room will be yours during this next year.”

“So I’m still going to Hope’s Peak ?” she asks, almost more for herself than at the address of the secretary.

“Hope’s Peak doesn’t make an habit to change its mind when it comes to the new students. From the moment you are scouted, you are the only one who can refuse to come here.” she says as politely as possible.”

Celes nods, even if the other can’t see her. On her screen, Sayaka started to have some fun with the emojis and she rolls her eyes, fondly.

“I see. Good then.”

“What’s more” the woman says “We are all very impressed by what happened to you three days ago. I’ve got to say, the director is even more interested in having you in our school.”

“It was nothing.”

Of course, they read the paper. They read the sweet lies and beautiful story. They read Sayaka’s tears and the feminist group backing her up. They read how heroic she was, and now they want her even more.

“Oh, I would disagree.” The woman lowers her voice. “It was an amazing bit of gambling, if I can congratulate you myself.”

Her blood runs cold as soon as she hears it. “I don’t know what you are talking about. It wasn’t so much a gamble as a spontaneous action.”

“Yes, dear, alright. You don’t need to be embarrassed about it” sing-songs the voice in returns. “Anyway, your room is the 31. Please precise on the website if you want to be here one day earlier, some people wants some time to adapt themselves to their new environment. We hope you’ll find your way in our school as so many people did before you.”

“Thank you.” Celes answers. “I guess.”

She hangs up.

**Celestia Ludenberg** : It seems that I’m going to Hope’s Peak at the end.

**Sayaka Maizono** : Of course you are ! You are my stage partner, right ? You aren’t allowed to not go with me, I knew they would call you !

**Celestia Ludenberg** : Stage partner ?

**Sayaka Maizono** : Is it alright ?

Celes thinks about all the way she could qualifies their relationship. Acquaintance, friends, classmates, pen-pal, roommates, partners in crime if they want to be dramatic. And maybe some more that she will have enough time to think about after. For now…

**Celestia Ludenberg** : Yes. Stage partner it is, then.


End file.
